CRITTERS (1986) – Episode 283 – Decades of Horror 1980s
Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio
Release Date: 04/28/2025
Decades of Horror | Horror News Radio
“I know you think I’m crazy, but you must listen to me. You won’t want to believe what I’m telling you here, but you have to.” An ominous warning that no one heeds or even understands. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Gregory Crosby, and Jeff Mohr – as they try to decipher the mysterious message from the research station in (1973). Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 242 – A Cold Night’s Death (1973) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! Decades of...
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“Our psycho-controls upset the balance of the neuroglandular system, causing incredible distortions in the skin, hair, and teeth. In this state, the patient cannot be saved.” Again with the glands? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they make a reservation for a night with a (1961). Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 204 – Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory (1961) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! ...
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“Don’t you see? I’m just crazy ’bout this store.” Crazy enthusiastic or crazy deranged? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they brave a grocery store in search of its (1989). Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 285 – Intruder (1989) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new content! Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL () which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on...
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“Well, they will have to get un-unanimous and un-choose her. Now, I’ve been going on Safari most of my life, and I’ve never taken a woman. And I’m not going to change now, Barney.” Spoken like a true dinosaur of the human variety. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Gregory Crosby, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss (1977), a movie whose title refers to two different kinds of last dinosaurs: one is the man-in-suit Tyrannosaurus Rex variety and one is the obsolete human variety. Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 241 – The Last Dinosaur (1977)...
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“Behold now the behemoth which I made with thee. He moveth his tail like a cedar. Out of his mouth glow burning lamps. And sparks of fire leap out from the behemoth. He maketh the oceans to boil like a pot. His breath kindleth coals and a flame goeth out of his mouth.” Yup. That pretty much covers it. Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they take in some stop motion animation, Willis O’Brien and Pete Peterson style, in (1959). Yay! Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 203 – The Giant...
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“What is this bullshit? Them man-eating dust mops got us roped up tighter than a blue-ribbon bull, and all you folks can do is stand here and play kick-the-can with some punk kid!” Barry Corbin as Harv-the-former-sheriff delivers this line and the goods! Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Jeff Mohr, and guest Ralph Miller III – as they watch a new batch of Critters hatch just in time for Easter in (1988). Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 284 – Critters 2: The Main Course (1988) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube...
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“Lucifer! Lucifer! Barabas! Barabas! By Santanica, Santanica! Come! Come! Etcetera?” Keep it down in there! Sounds like you’re trying to raise the dead. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Gregory Crosby, and Jeff Mohr – as they discuss (1974), a microbudget Canadian horror flick with a micro-release. Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 240 – Corpse Eaters (1974) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED...
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“Ah, my friend. Our theory of glandular stimulation through electrical impulses was correct. A few days ago, you were as small as your companion, and now look at you!” Glandular stimulation? Is that a thing you can get? Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Daphne Monary-Ernsdorff, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they all go sans-after-shave while investigating (1940), starring Bela Lugosi! Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 202 – The Devil Bat (1940) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to...
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“Keep your shirt on, asshole.” Did he mean on “your” asshole or is he calling you an asshole? It does make a difference, you know. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they follow the battle for survival between the tiny, very hungry, escaped, galactic prisoners and a band of mostly courageous, small-town residents and farmers in (1986). Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 283 – Critters (1986) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! Click the alert to get notified of new...
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“You play a good game, boy, but the game is finished. Now you die.” Sounds very familiar, doesn’t it, B-O-O-Y-Y-Y? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, Gregory Crosby, and Jeff Mohr – as they cover this legendary franchise-starter, Don Coscarelli’s (1979). Balls of steel, anyone? Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 239 – Phantasm (1979) Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL () which now...
info_outline“Keep your shirt on, asshole.” Did he mean on “your” asshole or is he calling you an asshole? It does make a difference, you know. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they follow the battle for survival between the tiny, very hungry, escaped, galactic prisoners and a band of mostly courageous, small-town residents and farmers in Critters (1986).
Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 283 – Critters (1986)
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Gruesome Magazine is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of Decades of Horror 1980s and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Synopsis: A group of small but vicious alien creatures called Crites escape from an alien prison transport vessel and land near a small farm town on earth, pursued by two shape-shifting bounty hunters.
- Director: Stephen Herek
- Writer: Domonic Muir and Stephen Herek (screenplay); Domonic Muir (story); Don Keith Opper (additional scenes written by) (as Don Opper)
- Special Effects:
- Chiodo Brothers Productions, Inc. (special critter effects)
- Critter Designer & Supervisor: Charles Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo
- Critters Crew: Edward Chiodo, Linda Chiodo, C. Mitchell Bryan, Jason Cardwell, Rene Dorian, Ans Ellis, Deborah Galvez, Kenneth J. Hall, Mike Jones, Michael Joyce, Justin Kohn, Jene Omens, Bradford Plows, Eugene P. Rizzardi, Dwight Roberts
- Chuck E. Stewart (special effects supervisor), Casey Cavanaugh, Frank Ceglia, Ray Massara, R. Bruce Steinheimer, Ken Tarallo
- Clark Hunter (puppeteer)
- Chiodo Brothers Productions, Inc. (special critter effects)
- Selected Cast:
- Dee Wallace as Helen Brown (credited as Dee Wallace Stone)
- M. Emmet Walsh as Harv
- Billy Green Bush as Jay Brown
- Scott Grimes as Brad Brown
- Nadine Van der Velde as April Brown
- Don Keith Opper as Charlie McFadden (credited as Don Opper)
- Billy Zane as Steve Elliot
- Ethan Phillips as Jeff Barnes
- Terrence Mann as Johnny Steele/Ug
- Jeremy Lawrence as Preacher
- Lin Shaye as Lin Shaye
- Michael Lee Gogin as Zanti
- Art Frankel as Ed
- Douglas Koth as Bowler #1
- Montrose Hagins as Organist
- Roger Hampton as Jake
- Chuck Lindsly as Pool Player #1 (credited as Chuck Lindsley)
- David Stenstrom as Pool Player #2
- Adele Malis-Morey as Woman #1
- Corey Burton as Critters (voice)
- Edward Chiodo as Puppeteer(uncredited)
- Kevin Thompson as Giant Critter (uncredited)
- Che Zuro as Johnny Steele – Guitarist (uncredited)
In this episode, Decades of Horror 1980s tackles another franchise-starting film with Critters (1986). The filmmakers swear the story was written before they knew anything about Gremlins (1984), but it’s still regarded by most as a Gremlins rip-off. Even so, the 80s Grue-Crew consider it worthy of a watch in its own right. Firstly, the special critters effects are provided by Chiodo Brothers Productions (Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988). Critters is also populated by a strong cast featuring Dee Wallace, M. Emmet Walsh, Scott Grimes, Billy Green Bush, Billy Zane, Ethan Phillips, and Lin Shaye to name just a few. Director Kevin Herek has put together a fun horror comedy that spawned four sequels.
At the time of this writing, Critters (1986) is available to stream from Hoopla, Tubi, and several pay-per-view sources. It is also available on physical media in The Critters Collection [Blu-ray], a 4-disc boxed set that includes Critters 1-4 from Scream Factory.
Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal, will be Critters 2: The Main Course (1988). It seemed like the logical picture to cover. Once again, the effects work of Chiodo Brothers Productions (Killer Clowns from Outer Space, 1988) are showcased, but this time, the director is Mick Garris. Scott Grimes, Terrance Mann, and Don Keith Opper return and are joined in the cast by Cynthia Garris, Sam Anderson, Linn Shaye, Barry Corbin, and Eddie Deezen. This should be fun!
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